DOCSLIB.ORG

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—HOUSE June 23, 2005 Please Read This Article

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—HOUSE June 23, 2005 Please Read This Article June 23, 2005 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—HOUSE 13935 why rescind support for highly re- rifice to be remembered for the good (Mr. WELDON) believe, that mercury spected objective news programs like and honorable actions he was doing in should be taken out of all childhood the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer and Iraq. vaccines and in fact all vaccines. Frontline? His service showed the true American We need to ask ourselves one simple Why cripple excellent radio stations spirit. While the Lapinskis lost their question: What is right? The answer I like WUKY and WEKU in my district, son, they know that he died preserving think is very clear. Get mercury out of jeopardizing shows like Morning Edi- and fighting for democracy. all vaccinations. tion and All Things Considered? Mr. Speaker, I ask all Americans to In reality the answer that is given by Why indeed? I cannot answer such join me in honoring a true American far too many officials in our govern- questions. The very notion of turning hero. ment, health agencies and some Mem- bers of Congress, sorry, we cannot help away from the future of public broad- f casting is preposterous. I am fearful you, and the need to protect the phar- ORDER OF BUSINESS this is an administration effort to ei- maceutical industry is so great, we ther censor public broadcasters or in- Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speak- cannot do much about it. timidate them into favorably reporting er, I ask unanimous consent to claim b 1745 the time of the gentleman from Min- on the current administration. I sin- Some in my party keep talking about nesota (Mr. GUTKNECHT). cerely hope not. Objectivity and facts changing the law to protect the drug The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. know nothing of partisan politics. companies against so-called frivolous MCCAUL of Texas). Is there objection to The opponents of public broadcasting lawsuits, and we have to do something the request of the gentleman from Indi- should take note, we will never stop to help these families who had their ana? fighting to preserve public children damaged by the mercury vac- There was no objection. broadcasting’s independence. Public cines. I am against class action law- broadcasting is a true civic treasury, a f suits in general. I am for tort reform, shining example of what good govern- MERCURY AND AUTISM but we have got to do something to ment policy can do to improve our The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a help these families. quality of life and strengthen the We have tried to talk to the pharma- previous order of the House, the gen- American Republic by engaging citi- ceutical industry about protecting tleman from Indiana (Mr. BURTON) is zens in public affairs. them while at the same time changing As Thomas Jefferson once said, recognized for 5 minutes. the Vaccine Injury Compensation Fund Whenever people are well informed, Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speak- in a way that will protect these fami- they can be trusted with their own gov- er, I have been down here a lot talking lies and help those who have been dam- ernment. about autism over the years and my aged, but so far we have gotten abso- Maintaining our commitment to pub- committee had many hearings on the lutely nowhere with them; and it is lic broadcasting will help keep the very issue of autism. My grandson became something I think we need to continue people who elect us well informed, and autistic after receiving 9 shots in one to work on. in doing so, help to promote the integ- day, 7 of which contained mercury, in a Just recently, there was an article rity and proper functioning of this very product called thimerosal. And he is that was published in a magazine I nor- body itself. doing better but it has been a very dif- mally do not read. It is called Rolling I applaud the Members of this body ficult time for me and my family. Stone, but this article was brought to who rose to the defense of public broad- I strongly believe that there is a link my attention, and I think everybody in casting earlier today by voting to re- between the mercury that is in the thi- this body ought to read that article. It store funding to a cherished American merosal in the vaccines and children was written by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., institution. developing neurological disorders such somebody who I normally do not read, f as autism. In fact, according to a re- but I have to tell my colleagues it is a cent study released by collaboration of very well-written article. It goes into HONORING ARMY SPECIALIST U.S. medical researchers from Johns great detail and scientific research STANLEY ‘‘STOSH’’ LAPINSKI Hopkins University, Northeastern Uni- studies on mercury-connected mental (Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Flor- versity in Boston, and the University disorders caused by the thimerosal in ida asked and was given permission to of Nebraska and Tufts University that the mercury in these vaccinations. address the House for 1 minute and to was published in the Vancouver Sun in I would submit to all my colleagues revise and extend her remarks.) February of last year and was officially they really need to read this article. I Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Flor- released in the April 2004 edition of the am going to send a Dear Colleague out ida. Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy scientific journal Molecular Psychi- to all of my colleagues in the House heart that I rise today to express con- atry, ‘‘A recent review of vaccine-re- and the Senate over the next couple of dolences of a grateful Nation. lated adverse events in the U.S. found days. It is a fairly lengthy article, but I rise to honor the life of Army Spe- a significant correlation between shots it goes into how government officials cialist Stanley, also known as Stosh, containing thimerosal,’’ i.e. mercury met with pharmaceutical company of- Lapinski. Specialist Lapinski was a re- ‘‘and autism.’’ ficials and deliberately covered up the cent victim of a terrorist roadside The study further concluded that the connection, deliberately covered up the bomb. use of thimerosal-containing shots connection between the thimerosal in During his last conversation before could account for the rising rates of vaccines and the problems that are he was killed, Sergeant Lapinski told autism since the early 1980s when more being created, neurological problems his parents not to worry about him and thimerosal-containing vaccinations that have been created in these chil- he would be fine. were added to the government-man- dren, including autism. While Stosh did not make it home dated childhood vaccination schedule. All of my colleagues ought to read from Iraq, I am honored to join the Scientific evidence aside, we have this and realize that we have had a col- Lapinski family for his burial at Ar- seen an increase from 1 in 10,000 chil- laboration between health officials in lington National Cemetery next week. dren who are autistic to 1 in 166 since our government and the pharma- A grateful Nation has brought him they started using thimerosal in many, ceutical industry to protect themselves home to the honors and accolades he many vaccines in the early eighties from class action lawsuits at the ex- well deserves. and children started getting more of pense of these young kids and families Nothing I could say today would heal these shots. who have been damaged by neuro- the wounds of the Lapinski family. I am not against vaccinations but I logical disorders, including autism. After speaking to them, however, I can do believe, as many of my colleagues, So I submit to my colleagues who tell you that they want their son’s sac- including the gentleman from Florida may be in their offices or here tonight, VerDate Sep 11 2014 11:28 Feb 03, 2017 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00091 Fmt 0688 Sfmt 0634 E:\FDSYS\2005BOUNDRECORD\BOOK10\NO_SSN\BR23JN05.DAT BR23JN05 ejoyner on DSK30MW082PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE 13936 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—HOUSE June 23, 2005 please read this article. It is extremely Act, many at the meeting were concerned publican from Indiana, oversaw a three-year important. I do not want to hurt the about how the damaging revelations about investigation of thimerosal after his grand- pharmaceutical industry. I would like thimerosal would affect the vaccine indus- son was diagnosed with autism. ‘‘Thimerosal to protect them from class action law- try’s bottom line. used as a preservative in vaccines is directly ‘‘We are in a bad position from the stand- related to the autism epidemic,’’ his House suits; but at the same time, we need to point of defending any lawsuits,’’ said Dr. Government Reform Committee concluded in change that Vaccine Injury Compensa- Robert Brent, a pediatrician at the Alfred I. its final report. ‘‘This epidemic in all prob- tion Fund to take care of these kids duPont Hospital for Children in Delaware. ability may have been prevented or curtailed that have been damaged and help their ‘‘This will be a resource to our very busy had the FDA not been asleep at the switch families. plaintiff attorneys in this country.’’ Dr. Bob regarding a lack of safety data regarding in- DEADLY IMMUNITY Chen, head of vaccine safety for the CDC, ex- jected thimerosal, a known neurotoxin.’’ The (By Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.) pressed relief that’’ given the sensitivity of FDA and other public-health agencies failed the information, we have been able to keep it to act, the committee added, out of ‘‘institu- JUNE 16, 2005.—In June 2000, a group of top out of the hands of, let’s say, less responsible tional malfeasance for self protection’’ and government scientists and health officials hands.’’ Dr.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • A Risk/Reward View of Vaccines
    A Risk/Reward View of Vaccines Addressing the confusion and presenting a different approach to the vaccine question as it relates to the frum community For those interested in minimizing the growing Machlokes Ver. 11/14//2019 (latest version at www.rodefshalom613.org) email [email protected] or leave a message at (414) 751-0001 with any corrections DRAFT Table of Contents Page Time to Read Introduction 4-9 5 Min. Main Presentation 10-41 15 min Critical Update as of 4/9/19 40 Appendix A - Wakefield: Defended/Exonerated 42 Appendix B - Scientists and Doctors on Vaccine Harm 43-44 Appendix C - Literature about Vaccine Harm 45-46 Appendix C1 - Vaccines and SIDS 47-48 Appendix C2 - Vaccines, Autism, and Under 5 Mortality 49 Appendix D - Ingredients in Vaccines 50 Appendix D1 - The Difference Between Vaccines and Chemical Drugs 51 Appendix D2 - Some Biologic (Vaccine) Recalls 52-54 Appendix E - What about Herd Immunity? 55-56 Appendix F - But They Can't All Be Wrong - Can They? 57 Appendix G - Is the CDC Lying? 58-59 Appendix H - How Profitable is the Vaccine Industry? 60-62 Appendix H1 - Conflicts of Interest in the Vaccine Industry 63 Appendix I - Dr. Paul Offit on Metziza B'peh and Bris Milah 64-65 Appendix J - Why Don’t Doctors See This? 66-68 Appendix K - Specialist vs General Practitioner - Who do you go to? 69 Appendix L - Rav Osher Weiss Psak - Comprehensive Review 70-79 Appendix M - Alternate Shailos for a Posek 80 Appendix N - An Open Letter to Poskim who demand vaccination 81-84 2 Table of Contents (cont) Page Time to Read Appendix O - Religious Exemption - Do you really want to give that up? 85-86 Appendix P - Ethical Argument 87-88 Appendix Q - Books - Is it responsible to Pasken without even reading one of these? 89 Appendix R - Smallpox and Polio 90-91 92 Appendix S - Flu Vaccines 93 Appendix T - Additional Resources and Interesting Articles 94 Appendix U - A critical lesson from the Ukraine 95 Follow-up Opportunities 96 3 -An important NOTICE for you- This presentation is not pro-vaccine or anti-vaccine.
    [Show full text]
  • Congressional Record—House H5074
    H5074 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE June 23, 2005 As Thomas Jefferson once said, MERCURY AND AUTISM them while at the same time changing Whenever people are well informed, The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a the Vaccine Injury Compensation Fund they can be trusted with their own gov- previous order of the House, the gen- in a way that will protect these fami- ernment. tleman from Indiana (Mr. BURTON) is lies and help those who have been dam- Maintaining our commitment to pub- recognized for 5 minutes. aged, but so far we have gotten abso- lic broadcasting will help keep the very Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speak- lutely nowhere with them; and it is people who elect us well informed, and er, I have been down here a lot talking something I think we need to continue in doing so, help to promote the integ- about autism over the years and my to work on. rity and proper functioning of this very committee had many hearings on the Just recently, there was an article body itself. issue of autism. My grandson became that was published in a magazine I nor- I applaud the Members of this body autistic after receiving 9 shots in one mally do not read. It is called Rolling who rose to the defense of public broad- day, 7 of which contained mercury, in a Stone, but this article was brought to casting earlier today by voting to re- product called thimerosal. And he is my attention, and I think everybody in store funding to a cherished American doing better but it has been a very dif- this body ought to read that article.
    [Show full text]
  • Environmental Health Issue
    FIFTH EDITION 2006, Volume 45 R5 Environmental Health and Autism In thIs Issue: Time To GeT a Grip By martha r. Herbert, m.D., ph.D. Beyond Behavior—Biomedical Diagnoses in Autism spectrum Disorders By Margaret L. Bauman, M.D. transforming the Public Debate on neurotoxicants By Elise Miller, M.Ed. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Autism does not have to be a life sentence You’re not about to give up on your child. Neither Are We. Since , the Autism Treatment Center of America™ has provided innovative training programs for parents and professionals caringifor children challenged by Autism Spectrum Disorders and related developmental difficulties. • Practical Tools • Powerful Results • Limitless Hope c Help your child improve in all areas of over p learning, development, communication and hoto skill acquisition. : © W I Join us for our internationally-acclaimed ll T ERR Son-Rise Program® Start-Up, a y comprehensive weeklong training program for parents and professionals. We don’t put limits on the possibilities for your child. Free 25-Minute Initial Call 877-766-7473 We’ll give you the keys to unlock their world. HOME OF THE SON-RISE PROGRAM® SINCE 1983 South Undermountain Road Sheffield, MA - USA Telephone: -- • E-mail: [email protected] www.autismtreatment.com Copyright © 2006 by The Option Institute & Fellowship. All rights reserved. 02.06-6 CONTENTS December 2006 page 18 SpOTlIGHT Time to Get A Grip By marTHa r. HerBerT, m.D., pH.D. Does an environmental role in autism make sense? How do we decide? And if environment is involved in autism, what do we do about it? These are challenging questions.
    [Show full text]
  • Why Anti-Vaccine Claims About NVICP Cases Are Wrong
    Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technology Volume 20 Issue 1 Article 11 8-7-2019 Using and Misusing Legal Decisions: Why Anti-Vaccine Claims about NVICP Cases Are Wrong Dorit Rubinstein Reiss UC Hastings College of Law Rachel Heap Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.law.umn.edu/mjlst Part of the Administrative Law Commons, Health Law and Policy Commons, and the Other Medicine and Health Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Dorit Rubinstein Reiss & Rachel Heap, Using and Misusing Legal Decisions: Why Anti-Vaccine Claims about NVICP Cases Are Wrong, 20 MINN. J.L. SCI. & TECH. 191 (2018). Available at: https://scholarship.law.umn.edu/mjlst/vol20/iss1/11 The Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technology is published by the University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing. Using and Misusing Legal Decisions: Why Anti-Vaccine Claims about NVICP Cases Are Wrong Dorit Rubinstein Reiss*and Rachel Heap† Abstract The question of whether vaccines cause autism spectrum disorder (autism, or ASD) has been extensively studied. Studies from different countries around the world, looking at millions of children in total, examined it and found no link. Despite this powerful evidence, the actions of a small group who fervently believe that vaccines cause autism may lead people to question the data. One tactic used to argue that vaccines cause autism is the use of compensation decisions from the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program to claim such a link. This article demonstrates that not only does the nature of proof in the program make its decisions ill-suited to challenging the science but also that the cases used do not, in their content, support that conclusion.
    [Show full text]
  • Qt60b551qq Nosplash 1Dbebcd
    Copyright 2011 by Elena Conis ii Acknowledgements Portions of Chapter 6 appeared in the Journal of Medical Humanities 32, no. 2 (2011): 155-166. iii Abstract Calling the Shots: A Social History of Vaccination in the U.S., 1962 – 2008 Elena Conis In two centuries of vaccination in the U.S., the last five decades constituted a unique era. American children received more vaccines than any previous generation, and laws requiring their immunization against a litany of diseases became common. Vaccination rates soared, preventable infections plummeted, and popular acceptance of vaccines remained strong—even as an increasingly vocal cross-section of Americans questioned the safety and necessity of vaccines and the wisdom of related policies. This dissertation examines how and why, between the 1960s and 2000s, Americans came to accept the state–mandated vaccination of all children against a growing number of infections despite the growing prominence of vaccine doubts. I argue that vaccines and vaccine policies fundamentally changed the ways health experts and lay Americans perceived the diseases they were designed to prevent. Second, I demonstrate that vaccination policies and their acceptance throughout this period were as contingent on political, social, and cultural concerns as they were on scientific findings. Thirdly, I show how, as new vaccine policies took shape, feminism, environmentalism, and other social movements laid challenge to scientific and governmental authority, with profound—but previously overlooked—implications for how Americans perceived vaccination. Finally, I argue that the relationship between vaccination beliefs and political ideology is more complex than historians have heretofore asserted, for selective and blanket vaccination doubts at the end of the twentieth century were as informed by leftist critiques of iv capitalism and social hegemonies as by traditional American libertarian ethics.
    [Show full text]
  • Unvaccinated Children Healthier Quotes "I've Been Practicing for 40
    Unvaccinated children healthier Quotes "I've been practicing for 40 years, and in the past 10 years the children have been sicker than ever."--Dr Doris J. Rapp, paediatric allergist. "I observed that my unvaccinated children were healthier, hardier and more robust than their vaccinated peers. Allergies, asthma and pallor and behavioral and attentional disturbances were clearly more common in my young patients who were vaccinated. My unvaccinated patients, on the other hand, did not suffer from infectious diseases with any greater frequency or severity than their vaccinated peers: their immune systems generally handled these challenges very well."--Incao's Hepatitis B Vaccination Testimony "Another point which I document in my presentation... is that there is little or no objective research into the possible adverse effects of vaccines. There has never been a study comparing vaccinated to unvaccinated children. The only explanation for this is bias and political pressure."--Philip Incao MD " One of the flaws in studies of vaccines is that there are no true placebo groups. The vaccine is tested in one group of immunized children and is compared to another group of immunized children."--Peter Baratosy I see many children in my practice. Some are immunized and some are not, my own children are not. I see the difference between the immunized and the non-immunized. They're much healthier and have less infections, colds, otitis media and tonsillitis. Dr. Michael Odent has written a letter in the JAMA (1994) where his figures show a five times higher rate of asthma in pertussis immunized children compared to non-immunized children.
    [Show full text]
  • Vaccines: Separating Fact from Fiction
    Vaccinations Separating Fact from Fiction Presented by: Dr. Chad Jenkins Yesterday vs. Today • How many children in your class were autistic? • How many children in your class had asthma or needed inhalers? • Were peanut butter & jelly sandwiches banned at your school because they caused allergies? Yesterday vs. Today Autism • 1970’s – 1:10,000 children • 1980’s – 1:500 children • 1990’s – 1:200 children • Today – 1:166 children – That means that on average, 1:68 families now have an autistic child – By the way, no child is ever diagnosed with autism at birth, they become autistic… America’s Children Today • Our country is currently ranked last in the world in infant mortality rate • 10 million children have asthma • 40 million children have allergies • 1:400 children are Type I diabetic • 1:6 children are classified as learning disabled in some way • Pediatric cancer has been rising by 3% every year America’s Children Today So, if vaccines are healthy for our children, then we should have the healthiest kids on the planet…. More shots = better health? Childhood Vaccinations Vaccines are injections that contain weakened amounts of the disease germ that they are meant to protect against. They are said to work by stimulating the body to produce antibodies. Vaccines: Are they really safe and effective, by Neil Z. Miller 2006, pg 13 Normally Acquired When bacteria, viruses, and other foreign materials are breathed or swallowed, the first-line-of-defense is the mucous membranes. Invasions are partially neutralized before entering the stomach. The digestive system further destroys invaders... What do vaccines do? If the antigen eventually enters the blood stream through this natural method, the white blood cells attack and neutralize foreign substances.
    [Show full text]
  • Dare to Question | Vaccination
    Dare to Question One Parent to Another Information compiled by Ted Kuntz M.Ed. It would make life much easier if I could have total faith and not question everything all the time, but I can’t do it and I won’t do it. ~ Joey Skaggs Version: March 1, 2018 2 In Gratitude I am in deep gratitude to the following individuals who are courageous enough to publicly question the safety and effectiveness of vaccines. This list includes doctors, research scientists, politicians, parents and concerned citizens who risk their reputations and livelihoods to tell the truth. Andrew Wakefield MD, Brian Hooker Ph.D., Tony Bark MD Polly Tommy, Robert Sears MD, Anita Bratt ND Michael Leitner, James Lyons-Weiler Ph.D., Leon Chaitow Suzanne Humphries MD, Roman Bystrianyk, Paul Thomas MD Neil Z. Miller, Gary Goldman Ph.D., Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Robert De Niro, Sherri J. Tenpenny MD, Walene James Tetyana Obukhanych Ph.D., Brett Wilcox, Lauren Feder MD David Kirby, Dan Olmsted, Mark Blaxill, Mary Holland JD Kent Heckenlively, Judy Mikovits Ph.D., Alan Cassels Marcia Angell MD, David Lewis Ph.D., Linda Keller, Dan Burton Steven Druker, Kevin Barry, Sharyl Attkisson, Heather Fraser Andrew Moulden MD Ph.D., Vernon Coleman MD, Anne Dachel Jenny McCarthy, Edda West, Rita Hoffman, Nelle Maxey Claudina Michal-Teitelbaum MD, Richard Moskowitz MD Larry Palevksy MD, Todd M. Elsner DC, Philip F. Incao MD Barbara Loe Fisher, Ralph Campbell MD, Gregory Polland MD Russell Blaylock MD, Judy Converse MPH, Elliott Freed Peter Doshi Ph.D., Michael Crichton MD, Robert Mendelsohn MD Larry Solomon, Meryl Nass MD, Del Bigtree, Joel Lord Lorna Hancock, Aviva Jill Romm, Laura Hayes, Tim Sullivan Chris Shaw Ph.D., Jayne Donegan MD, and many others During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.
    [Show full text]
  • Harry's Story Is One of Very Many Children and Young People Who Were Not Born Autistic but Became So, Most Probably As a Result of Multiple Vaccines
    Harry’s Story A Brilliant Boy’s Short Life ‘Harry’s Story’ INDEX Introduction 2 Harry’s Story by JHR including- 6 -Litigation including submission to ECtHR 16 KR’s witness statement. 28 Carol and Martin Bailey’s witness statement. 53 Dr A Wakefield- report on HHR’s biopsy. 55 JHR’s Digest of Claimants’ Experts’ Reports in UK MMR/Autism litigation. 58 Dr. P Fletcher’s observations. 73 Dan Olmsted-The Amish Community. 87 David Thrower Briefing on Autism. 92 JABS Briefing with:- 112 -Manufacturers’ Product Sheet-warning/disclaimer. 114 -Report on US situation. 116 -Report on MMR in Japan. 116 Evidence of Harm-David Kirby. 136 Harry’s work including: 137 Moselle Series 1995-2000 Oak Lodge Series 2000-2005 The Bridge Series 2005-2008 Hoffmann Series 2008-2009 Daylight 2008-2009 The Way Forward.-after leaving school 206 Postscript 209 Appendices: 1.Schedule of ‘MMR 10’ Claimants 210 2.Hannah Poling legal judgment 211 3.Bailey Banks legal judgment. 254 4.Big Pharma Profits 312 E-Books references:- 314 -In Harm’s Way -Access to Justice 1 Introduction Harry was a gifted artist, model-maker, film-maker and musician. He developed skills throughout his childhood in North London, attending St Michael's School N6, Moselle N17, Oak Lodge N2 and finally The Bridge School in Islington. He was a handsome and healthy boy and developed a Herculean build as he grew up. Harry was also autistic. He developed autism late having received the MMR jab aged one, to which he had a very bad reaction. From being a healthy baby boy ahead on all his milestones before he was one he had to adapt to a difficult life as an a autistic person as he grew up.
    [Show full text]
  • Use and Abuse of Religious Exemptions from School Immunization Requirements
    K - Reiss_24 (E. GOLDBERG).DOC (Do Not Delete) 8/17/2014 4:56 PM Thou Shalt Not Take the Name of the Lord Thy God in Vain: Use and Abuse of Religious Exemptions from School Immunization Requirements Dorit Rubinstein Reiss* School immunization requirements are one way that states protect school age children against vaccine-preventable diseases. At present, forty-eight states allow parents to exempt their students from immunization requirements based on religious reasons, philosophical reasons, or either. This Article focuses on the religious exemption and makes three points. First, people lie to get a religious exemption. Second, U.S. jurisprudence makes preventing such abuse very hard. And third, because the religious exemption is so prone to abuse, we should remove it. The first part of the Article discusses the jurisprudence, and why our courts limit state officials’ ability to police abuse of the religious exemption. The Article then uses three sources to argue that religious exemptions are widely abused: survey data describing the reasons people do not vaccinate, the positions of established religions about vaccines, and posts from Facebook stating the poster lied to obtain a religious exemption. The Article concludes by discussing three potential solutions to the problem of widespread abuse of the religious exemption: tightening the scrutiny of requests for religious exemptions, limiting exemptions to medical exemptions only, and providing only a personal choice exemption. The Article is skeptical about whether tightening scrutiny is appropriate or constitutional, but sees the latter two options as offering a different balance of benefits and costs, though the author has a slight preference for a hard to obtain personal choice exemption.
    [Show full text]
  • Drug Test Page 1 of 12
    CJR November/December 2005 - Drug Test Page 1 of 12 CJR Home » Issues » 2005 » Issue 6: November/December Drug Test By Daniel Schulman n May 18, 2004, the Institute of Medicine, a branch of the prestigious National Academies, delivered its eighth and final report on vaccine safety, seeking to end a O scientific controversy that had built to a slow boil over the previous five years: whether a mercury-containing vaccine preservative called thimerosal was to blame for an alarming spike in autism cases among a generation of children. After three years of reviewing this and other immunization safety questions on behalf of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the institute’s fourteen-member panel rejected the thimerosal link, and, in a powerful policy statement, recommended that research funding in this area be shifted toward other, more promising lines of inquiry. Under headlines such as this one from The Washington Post, EXPERTS FIND NO VACCINE-AUTISM LINK; PANEL SAYS MORE RESEARCH ON POSSIBLE CONNECTION MAY NOT BE WORTHWHILE, the press dutifully reported the IOM’s conclusions, perhaps as eager to lay the question to rest as the IOM panel itself. For a time it appeared the controversy over thimerosal would end there. It didn’t. Over the past seven months, it has gained traction again, leaving journalists in an awkward position. The thimerosal question — scientifically, politically, and emotionally complex — is proving to be a test for journalism, and the successes and failures are evident in the coverage. David Kirby, a Brooklyn-based writer, jumpstarted the debate in April with the publication of his book, Evidence of Harm, which lays out a compelling case for a connection between thimerosal and autism.
    [Show full text]
  • Deadly Immunity Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Investigates the Government Cover
    http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/_/id/7395411?rnd=1119059754109&has- player=true&version=6.0.8.1024 June 17, 2005 Deadly Immunity Robert F. Kennedy Jr. investigates the government cover-up of a mercury/autism scandal By ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR. In June 2000, a group of top government scientists and health officials gathered for a meeting at the isolated Simpsonwood conference center in Norcross, Georgia. Convened by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the meeting was held at this Methodist retreat center, nestled in wooded farmland next to the Chattahoochee River, to ensure complete secrecy. The agency had issued no public announcement of the session -- only private invitations to fifty- two attendees. There were high-level officials from the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration, the top vaccine specialist from the World Health Organization in Geneva and representatives of every major vaccine manufacturer, including GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Wyeth and Aventis Pasteur. All of the scientific data under discussion, CDC officials repeatedly reminded the participants, was strictly "embargoed." There would be no making photocopies of documents, no taking papers with them when they left. The federal officials and industry representatives had assembled to discuss a disturbing new study that raised alarming questions about the safety of a host of common childhood vaccines administered to infants and young children. According to a CDC epidemiologist named Tom Verstraeten, who had analyzed the agency's massive database containing the medical records of 100,000 children, a mercury-based preservative in the vaccines -- thimerosal -- appeared to be responsible for a dramatic increase in autism and a host of other neurological disorders among children.
    [Show full text]